


Never Going to Shut Up About It

by anactualforrealadult



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Izumi is also Stressed, M/M, Multi, Old Married Couple, Zuko is stressed, and will not shut up about this, but NOOOOO, prompt is from tumblr, sokka is Excited, what if zuko and sokka find out about korra early, zuko just wanted a relaxing retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26673541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anactualforrealadult/pseuds/anactualforrealadult
Summary: Zuko had been enjoying his retirement.He had lead a war torn nation to peace, married the love of his life, had two wonderful children (thanks Mai for the help), and was perfectly content to let Izumi take the throne while he got to relax with his husband.The universe is determined to not let Zuko get a break.The last thing he had planned that morning was going after the avatar again.Sokka was going to be so smug.Zuko and Sokka find out about Korra before the White Lotus does
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 436





	Never Going to Shut Up About It

Zuko was enjoying his retirement.

After sitting on the throne since the age of sixteen, repairing a war-torn nation, navigating life that was being married to Sokka, and raising two children, he was long overdue for some extended relaxation. Izumi had all but insisted on taking the throne three years ago, and the only reason Zuko and Sokka were still hanging around the palace was to help ease the transition of power. They had gotten to see Izumi’s kids through their earliest years, and were looking forward to moving down to the South Pole to spend time with their son and their newest grandchild.

On this particularly lovely post-retirement day, Zuko was happily enjoying a late breakfast on the balcony attached to his suite. His husband had woken up far earlier (a strange reversal of their pre-retirement life) and was now probably wandering around somewhere on the grounds. Or the city. It was hard to say. Zuko didn’t worry about it much anymore, he trusted Sokka to the ends of the earth. Well, he trusted him to show back up eventually. So, he settled into his meal, and barely reacted when a member of his staff came running in. It was unlikely that his children had destroyed half a wing of priceless relics again. In fact, these days, very little made Zuko anxious or worried. A wonderful feeling.

“A letter for you sir, it was marked as urgent.”

Zuko sent the young woman away with a smile and a nod, and took the letter. He recognized the seal as his son’s, the chief of the Southern Water tribe. Technically, the job should have gone to Sokka, but he allowed the position to pass over him. He had filled in for Hakoda for several months following an injury many years ago, and decided that the reality of the job was far different from what he had grown used to as a Fire Nation prince. Less dealing with large complex arrangements and committees, and more dealing with the intimate problems of a medium sized village. It had taken some convincing to allow the elders to accept a Fire Nation native as a nominee, but technicalities won out. He was Sokka’s child biologically, not Zuko’s like Izumi was, and had no claim to the Fire Nation throne. Plus, he (and Izumi) had passed the test of ice dodging at fourteen, which made him an official member of the tribe besides just blood, and had spent enough time visiting the South through his childhood to be familiar enough with the culture.

The former Fire Lord missed seeing his son more often, as it had been several years since the young man had moved to the South permanently, first to train under his grandfather, and then as Chief proper, but he and Sokka were able to console themselves with frequent letters about his life and his growing family. Which brought him back to the letter in his hand. The younger man took after his father, and often had differing views as to what was considered “urgent”. Zuko and Sokka had been receiving a fair number of less than actually urgent letters from their son in the two years since their granddaughter had been born, and he knew Izumi got many of them too, having had children much younger than her brother.

Zuko unfurled the paper, expecting to read another concern about how the child had gotten a common childhood ailment, or had started repeating inappropriate phrases. He started reading, half interested, as he reached to grab some more fruit. Suddenly, his eye caught on a specific sentence that immediately demanded his full attention. Breakfast forgotten, Zuko gave the letter his full attention, and read it carefully from the start. And then read it through again. Once more for good measure.

Well. He _had_ been enjoying his retirement.

Without resuming his meal or notifying his staff that he was finished with it, Zuko ran out of his room and went straight to his old office, now Izumi’s. She looked up as he ran in, a mix of annoyance and concern on her face. 

“Good morning to you too Baba.”

Ignoring the thinly veiled sarcasm, Zuko slammed the letter on top of whatever important document his daughter had been looking over.

“Read this.”

Izumi raised an eyebrow, and picked up the letter, the same look of indifference on her face that Zuko had minutes ago. However, before long, her eyes opened wide, and she shot up from her desk.

“ _Oh_.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Zuko sank into one of the chairs across from the large desk, head in his hands.

“So I’m thinking the best course of action here is to move up our move to the South.”

Izumi’s eyes had not left the letter, but she nodded. “I would support that decision. Maybe a few weeks to start in order to take care of any immediate problems, and then return once we can get the logistics figured out.” She quickly crossed the room to the door, and spoke a few words to one of the guards outside. 

“I’ve asked for someone to start packing for you and Dad. And for someone to find Dad.” Sitting in her chair, Izumi finally tore her eyes from the letter. “Shit. Dad’s going to be so smug about this.”

“I mean, it’s not my _biggest_ concern right now, but yes he certainly is, and I’m not looking forward to it.” Zuko massaged his temples, already feeling a headache coming on. 

He had known this day would come eventually. Well, maybe not _this_ exact day, but a day with similar news. Not attached to his family in anyway. And he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, convinced he would have at least another five years before having to worry about it. But of course the universe hates him, specifically, and felt that Zuko hadn’t done enough already in his life. No, they couldn’t just let him enjoy his retirement in peace. And for Spirit’s sake he was too old for all of this again. Is this how Uncle felt dealing with Zuko’s bullshit? 

There were going to be a thousand things to do, plans to make, people to tell, people to _not_ tell, plus the general headache of changing major travel plans by three years for unpredicted reasons. And what was he going to tell the other grandkids? _Should_ he tell them? Crap he should tell Katara. Where the hell was she these days? She had seemed to take up Aangs nomadic spirit since he had passed, and rarely stayed in the same place for more than a few days. But she really should be the first outside the family to know. Wait. Inside the family. Right. Toph should probably be told too, but she had dicked off to the swamps with no promise of return, and would probably make some snarky comment about how it wasn’t her problem. He’ll probably send a letter anyway. Suki will find out as soon as Sokka gets his hand on a messenger hawk, so no need to worry about her. Would Mai want to know? She firmly refused to be referred to as anything resembling a parent to the two children she had carried for Zuko and Sokka, but this problem did involve her technical descendent. Zuko was sure his headache was quickly turning into a migraine, and he hadn’t had one of those in years.

A guard poked their head in while Zuko continued to sprial, announcing that preparations were being made for Lord’s Zuko and Sokka to leave for the South, with an airship ready in one hour’s time. Sokka had been located, and would meet his husband at the airfield. Father and daughter headed back to the royal suites, perhaps a bit faster than they would under different circumstances.

“You’ll have to tell him before you get there you know.”

Zuko grimaced. “I know, but at least he’s meeting us at the airfield. Fewer people for him to blab to once we get up in the air. Spirits we’re going to have to make arrangements to keep this under wraps, at least for a few years. She’s only two. How on earth did people manage to keep it secret for sixteen years in the old days?” They had reached the rooms, and Zuko quickly packed the last few personal items he and Sokka would need for the unexpected trip. Breakfast was still on the balcony, and Zuko grabbed a few peaches to add to his bag for the trip, regardless of the fact that there would certainly be food aboard the air ship for the former Fire Lord. In this moment, he felt more like the jumpy teenager quickly packing the essentials before facing his father and joining the avatar.

Before long, they were at the airfield, meeting up with a perplexed Sokka, who merely sent his husband a questioning look before bidding his daughter a quick goodbye. She waved them off from the ground, shouting up that they should give her brother a few choice words with the promise of a longer letter to follow. Once fully in the air, Zuko pulled his husband into their private cabin, and wordlessly passed the fateful letter into Sokka’s hands, steeling himself for the reaction that came just moments later. Hopefully the crew on board knew better than to be concerned about the sounds of excited screaming coming from the Fire Nation Prince, and would not run in with concern. Zuko simply sat on the bed, letting Sokka burn through his emotions until he could actually form proper words. 

The moment did not come as quickly as he would have liked, but Sokka finally climbed in the bed next to Zuko and pulled him into a tight embrace. It was a bit uncomfortable, but Zuko was never one to deny Sokka after over thirty years of marriage. Eventually pulling back, Sokka looked his husband deep in his eyes with a smile that was as wide as the Great Divide.

“Told you having a second child was a good idea.”

Zuko sighed, but leaned forward to give Sokka a quick kiss. “You did. I suppose I’m glad I agreed.”

“Glad I put in the extra effort to bribe Mai.”

The former Fire Lord rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t but smile. There were a million things to worry about in the immediate future, but he supposed that there was room for excitement there too. Sokka moved off the bed to grab a notebook, and returned, the same thoughts in Zuko’s mind soon filling the pages. The letter from their son drifted to the floor as the brainstorming session continued, the paper forgotten, but the contents burned in their minds.

_Dear Baba and Dad,_

_I want to skip to the important information, but you both raised me with enough manners to not skip the regular pleasantries. How are you? How are Izumi and the kids? Did the new brood of turtleducks hatch yet? The South is good, we are looking f ~~orward to a milder winter than~~ Korra started bending and it’s not normal. I am quite sure it isn’t normal because I saw her firebending yesterday and I thought ok that was always a possibility considering my surrogate mother we could handle that it would be weird for everyone down here but it would be ok but then Senna saw her waterbending this morning and I told her that wasn’t possible and we both argued that we had each seen some sort of illusion but then Korra actually did both in front of us and I’m not a bending expert but I know that’s not right and we need help right now because I already don’t know how to take care of a two year old let alone a two year old who is the avatar I guess??? I don’t know what else it could be and I’m stressing out and Senna is stressing out and please please please come down here and help I know you weren’t planning on coming down until the solstice but would could really use some help now thank you in advance._

_Help,_

_Tonraq_ ~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> Saw this prompt somewhere deep in the Zukka tag on tumblr, needed it written  
> Edit: the prompt was from BeignetBenny! Thanks babe!!
> 
> Mai was the surrogate for Izumi and Tonraq, and never wanted to be considered one of their parents, but she is also going to be really smug about this along with Sokka, much to Zuko's distress


End file.
